Sensei Blues
by ThePepperSheep
Summary: Though Madara granted him his life and agreed to be his mentor, Itachi sometimes wished the ancient shinobi had just killed him and spared him all this trouble... A look into the apprenticeship between Madara and Itachi.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Luckily I don't own Naruto – otherwise new manga chapters would only come out once every year.

**Note: **To anyone who read chapter one of _Sensei Blues, _this is a prologue. I decided to add one after I reread the first chapter and realized what a boring beginning it was; hopefully this one is more exciting.

And again, thank you to **The Darkest wizard, SkywardShadow, coincident and Nanaki Lioness **– your reviews were awesome!

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Nighttime in the Mist was bitterly cold. The sun had long gone down and the first stars started to wink weakly in the sky. Itachi crouched low on a thick branch, staring shrewdly. A man with long and messy hair, somewhat reminiscent to his younger brother's, was roasting a large fish on a fire. He silently jumped to a nearer tree and stopped, surprised. It was like walking into a sauna. The area was heavy and oppressive, like the air before a storm. As his Sharingan awakened, he realized with a shock it was the man's chakra creating the air pressure. It pulsed around him, hitting his body in hot, angry waves.

Itachi felt his sweat run down his bangs; he needed to figure out how to approach the man. He watched as he ripped a huge hunk of meat off with his teeth; according to his calculations, the man had to be over a hundred years old. The familiar adrenaline rush started to sweep his body and he took a deep breath to ease his muscles.

He would ambush the man. After some simple interrogation to see if his hunch was right, he would propose his offer; the man couldn't refuse. He slowly pulled a kunai out and tensed his legs, ready to jump – but when he looked up, the clearing was empty.

The chakra vanished, and the cold air seemed to pour back into the glade. The abandoned fire hissed as the light wind blew against it. Itachi felt his body trembling in anticipation. He jumped up to one of the higher branches as his heart beat frantically against his rib cage. What was going on? He never reacted like this – even when faced with some the most dangerous criminals ANBU had to offer, his body never betrayed him like this. He gripped a branch next to him, trying to ease the warning signals his body was sending him.

_Get out, Get out, Get out NOW_

And in between his shallow breaths, the air around him froze. The wind and croaking frogs died and the only sound left was his trapped heart. A heartbeat – the silence pushed almost unbearably on Itachi's eardrums - and his eyes widened as he felt the man's heavy chakra behind him –

"He, he… look what we have here…"

Blinding pain blacked the edges of Itachi's vision as the man's powerful kick made contact with his back and sent him flying out of the trees. His arm snatched at a branch and he flipped onto it, Sharingan blazing as he searched the clearing for the long-haired man. His eyes flitted from tree to tree, kunai ready in his hand - but again, he had disappeared.

"Not quite, brat."

Itachi whirled around in time to see the tall outline before a fist struck him in the chest. He doubled over, just as knee collided with his face. Stumbling to stand up, he felt himself spinning into an almost vomit-inducing twirl before the large hand fisted itself into his hair and pushed his head, smashing it into the tree trunk with a sickening crack. The man laughed.

Itachi felt himself falling. Quickly he started to make some hand seals to _shunshin _to the forest floor, but before he was on the second hand sign his body exploded with pain as the man slammed his feet into his stomach, pile driving him to the ground. He felt the ANBU armor splitting from his body and gasped when he landed on his wrist.

Twitching, he tried to move his hands only to realize his wrist was crushed. He pushed himself to his feet just as the man stood in front of him.

"Pathetic. Just look what the Uchiha have been reduced to…"

Itachi didn't have time to react. The man backhanded his jaw and he crumpled to the dusty floor, eating a mouthful of dirt. With vision blurred with blood he noticed the man pull out his sheathed sword, eyes locked on his with the bloody red of the Sharingan. He gazed numbly back, trying to sluggishly process what had just happened.

He felt a rush of blood in his throat and his body convulsed. The world vanished around him as his head hit the damp forest floor.

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_Please review!_


	2. A Boring Mission

_Disclaimer - I don't own..._

_**Note: **_I've added a prologue to this story, so please go check it out...

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**_Six Months Earlier _**

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_Mission Number: 4826285-AN_

_Rank: A_

_Designated Team: Team-21_

_Time Frame: Dependent_

_Mission: Escort the Fire country ambassador Sutemi Kouta (hereby referred to as the _client_) to the Water capital _

_Details: The client is on orders from the Daimyo to act as a peace envoy between the Fire and Water. Team-21 will accompany the client to the Water capital and act as guards during negotiations. Once negotiations are completed, Team-21 will escort the client back to the Fire capital. Reports must be filed by the captain immediately upon returning to Konohagakure. _

_Additional Notes: The client has been target for eleven attempted assassinations in the past. Extreme caution must be taken when traveling across borders._

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The long, ANBU-issued gloves did nothing to guard against the damp cold that seeped deep into Itachi's bones. He wondered why the daimyo of the Water country would keep his dining hall so cold – the past two weeks had been nothing short of an icy hell, and he knew he wasn't the only one on his squad just waiting for the damn leaders to iron out a decent negotiation and to return to Konoha.

Itachi did another sweep of his surroundings – nothing appeared out of the ordinary since his last check. The Water daimyo, the Mizukage and the Konoha ambassador, all seated at the head of the table, held sake glazed eyes and a slightly slurred speech. The two tables that were placed perpendicular to the head table seated the lesser advisors, all who were arguing and slopping drinks on the table. The smell of food was overwhelming; Team 21 and the guards from Kiri hadn't eaten anything since dawn, and one could almost call it torture when the servants would pass by holding trays leaden with fancy dishes.

Kakashi, his squad captain, nodded discreetly behind his dog mask when his sweep also turned up no suspicion. The rest of Team-21 made a return sign, secretly disappointed. After standing for almost eight hours, a fight would have been welcome, if only to stretch their stiff muscles.

"Remove our forces from the Wave country? What do you take us for, fools?" Itachi's eyes swiveled onto a squat advisor, red-faced from anger. "Our troops are the only barrier protecting land that rightfully belongs to the Water country from Konoha forces. Why not just ask us to hand over the territory?!"

Konoha's advisor, Sutemi, groaned and pulled at his scant beard.

"There have been several skirmishes between the two sides – if we don't act now, there will surely be some casualties. Do you want another war? Konoha guards undisputed Fire country territory – the Wave does not even belong t o you – our troops have more right to be at the border than yours do!"

Itachi inwardly sighed. This was the game the two sides had been playing. Konoha would proposition a possible solution, and Kiri would refuse, claiming Konoha had an underhanded motive. After many heated accusations from the Water daimyo and the Mizukage, Sutemi had reduced himself to arguing any ideas Kiri had. The result – a fortnight of cussing, thrown drinks and a black eye on one of the advisors. Sutemi had finally realized that this trip was a lost cause, and notified the Fire country that he would be returning tomorrow. Today was supposed to be a farewell dinner, but a few cups of sake and a hot tempered advisor named Nobuki was all that was needed to bring up the politics again.

Nobuki stood up and pointed angrily at Sutemi. The ANBU from both countries who were standing guard immediately tensed and stabled their stances. "How dare you? The Wave country has many descendents from the Water country – that land is more than ours. You Fire dogs have no right to ask us to leave!"

"That's enough, Nobuki-san."

The hall fell silent. The Yondiame Mizukage glanced around the table, and then back at Nobuki.

"This negotiation has not been successful, but that is no reason to send our guests off in such a manner," The Mizukage's quiet voice seemed to chill the bones deeper than the weather. "We should at least celebrate that we did not fall into another war."

Nobuki bowed low at Sutemi and kneeled quickly at the table.

"That's better."

Itachi looked at the Mizukage. He was young – maybe only a few years older than he was, but spoke with such coldness that many forgot his age –_much like me._ Though he became well known because of his status as the host of the Three-tails, what made him infamous was his temper and cruelty that surpassed that of his demon's.

The Mizukage returned his gaze, his purple eyes sizing up the small ANBU. A small smirk lifted his marred face, and he whispered something to Sutemi. Sutemi looked bewildered, and looked over in Itachi's direction.

"Cat, please step forward, the Mizukage wants to see you."

Itachi glanced at his Kakashi, who jerked his head slightly _(I don't know, just move Cat!)._ Itachi walked swiftly past the advisors avoiding anyone's eyes. Once in front of the Mizukage, he bowed slightly and glanced at his face. The smirk was still there.

"You are an Uchiha, right? I have always had a fascination for your eyes –such powerful weapons. I can't believe that such a tool could be in the head of a ten year old. Remove your mask and show me your Sharingan."

Itachi unfastened the porcelain mask and focused his chakra on his eyes. The world washed away into colorful chakra blobs as he focused on the Mizukage. Itachi narrowed his eyes a fraction. Something wasn't right. There was a ripple in the man's chakra. Nothing big, but it was there – a small fluctuation in the chakra located in his brain. The Mizukage chuckled softly.

"Yes, the Sharingan is a fine tool indeed. Pity all of them are located in Konoha," He gulped down the small cup of sake. "Thank you, Cat - you may return to your post."

Itachi bowed jerkily and snapped his mask on in place. While he walked back next to Snake, he could feel the Mizukage's gaze follow him. The room gradually filled with chatter again, leaving Itachi to his own thoughts.

That flux wasn't normal. He had only seen that pattern of disturbance in victims captured by a unique mind control technique. What baffled him the most was that only one person was known to have that genjutsu.

His cousin, Uchiha Shisui.

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_Hi everyone! This is my first multi-chapter story, so sorry if it sucks. The first two chapters will lead into the actual story, so they will seem to be kinda off from the story description._

_Reviews would be much loved!_

_If I have made any mistakes in grammar or the plotline, please tell me. I proofread my stories several times, but I always miss something..._


	3. Back Home

_Wow. I never thought I would get back to this story…_

_I was sitting at my computer a few days back and found this old story. I've decided try and finish this story, especially since I already came up with a plot and everything._

_Spoiler alert: This story has spoilers from up to the recent manga (561). You've been warned!_

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Itachi quietly slid the large glass door shut and pulled of his mask. Once the ambassador had been safely returned to the Fire capital, the trip back to Konoha took only a few hours. He quickly pulled off the stiff ANBU gear and threw them into a corner of his room. The stifling summer heat was heavy in the house – he opened the window open opposite his bed before slumping onto the low mattress, listening to the bull frogs croak in the backyard pond.

His thoughts drifted to the Mizukage. What he saw didn't make any sense. The fluctuation in the Mizukage's chakra came from a jutsu unique to the Uchiha clan. But even within the clan, this jutsu was rare. It was almost considered a myth, told around campfires to scare the children of the clan. That was until his cousin, Shisui began showing signs of the jutsu. Itachi sighed and folded his arms behind his head.

Shisui was the only Uchiha in known have this jutsu. It was considered the ultimate genjutsu; instead of tricking opponents with visual illusions, Shisui's technique arrested full control over the person's mind. The victim's free-will vanishes; actions and thoughts are at the complete whims of the caster. It seemed to be some hilarious joke by the gods that Shisui came to be the one who possessed this technique. Shisui, with his straight talk and honest smile was an ill fit to such a dubious jutsu.

He glanced at the small alarm clock on the side table. It was four in the morning. Realizing that sleep wasn't coming his way, he got up silently and dressed. Within an hour, Shisui would be at the training grounds to begin his morning exercises. Itachi stretched lithely. Hopefully his cousin would be able to give him some answers.

_oooOOOooo_

The streets in the Uchiha compound were slowly coming to life as Itachi made his way to the training grounds. Shop owners were sweeping their storefronts, and the smell of freshly baked _senbei _wafted from his uncle's bakery. Several Uchiha waved, and Itachi nodded back.

The training grounds were empty when Itachi reached them. He set his pack down by the wall and began his stretches. His muscles were sore from the mission, and he began to slowly coax the stiffness out of them. Itachi was half way through his morning yoga when he heard familiar footfalls.

"Itachi! Hey, Itachi!" Itachi looked up and saw Shisui jogging towards him. He smiled lightly as he approached.

"Shisui. It's been some time, hasn't it?" Shisui stopped next to Itachi. He was all of his sixteen years – tall, lightly muscled, and a cocky smile plastered on his face. His curly hair –which was so unlike most of the other Uchiha's – was dripping with sweat. He grabbed Itachi and pulled him into a crushing side hug. Itachi struggled against his embrace.

"Shisui – please. You're covered in sweat. It's disgusting," Itachi snipped, wrinkling his nose. Shisui laughed loudly.

"Can I help it? I haven't seen my baby cousin in three months." He let go of Itachi. "So, how was the mission?"

"A complete waste of time," Itachi said irritably. "How about you?"

Shisui shrugged, and began stretching his biceps. "Same old, same old. Did patrol duty, sorted out a few domestic fights, but that was about it. Oh, and Miki broke up with me," he said offhandedly.

Itachi smirked wanly at the last bit of news. Miki, as far as Itachi was concerned, could be summed up with three traits: large breasts, a smug smile and a whiny voice. For the past several months she was the object of Shisui's adoration; he showered her with gifts and treated her like the goddess she believed she was. Itachi hated her. He was surprised Shisui would be attracted to someone so unpleasant. He blamed his cousin's lack of judgment on his teenage hormones.

"Really? What was her reason?" Itachi asked lightly.

"Apparently, I didn't treat her right," Shisui muttered. "She said a girl like her deserved better than anything I gave her." He seemed to deflate, his shoulders slumping forward.

Itachi snorted. "Come now Shisui, I can't believe you are upset about this. She was a parasite – all she was ever interested in was your name. She probably spent half her time boasting to anyone who would listen 'I'm dating _Shunshin no Shisui._' Was there anything even worthwhile about her?"

"She was—" Shisui started, but Itachi cut him off.

"Honestly, I believe this is for the best. Now you can try and find someone who has something going for her other than her abnormally large chest."

"Look, I don't want to argue with you right now – it's the first time I've seen you in months," Shisui snapped. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "God, I sometimes forget how pissing annoying you can be."

Itachi smiled serenely at him.

Shisui looked up at him and sighed again. "Let's just forget about it, okay? I really don't want to talk about her right now. Have you done your morning run yet?" Itachi shook his head.

"Great. Then we can go together. Let's see if my little cousin can keep up with me!" And with that Shisui started sprinting down the road. Itachi sighed, and quickly strapped on his pack before running after his cousin.

The mornings in Konoha were truly beautiful. As Shisui and Itachi ran the grey morning light slowly gave way to a bright, dazzling gold. The rays danced off the Nakano River and the small morning glories opened up as the sun warmed their petals. Itachi closed his eyes and listened to the birds. He loved Konoha. There was no place that could compare to this little village buried deep in the Fire country. Being away for so long only made Konoha even more charming.

They passed several shops, and the store owners waved out. Shisui grinned and waved back, and a couple of the women who were cleaning the entrances giggled. Itachi rolled his eyes.

By the time they looped their way through the village and back to the river, the morning was fully awake. Shisui flopped himself down near the river's edge and splashed water on his face. Itachi sat next to him, breathing deeply.

"Whew… that was a good run. It's been sometime since we went together." Shisui said. He took a gulp of water from his canteen. "You did pretty well. I didn't have to slow down that much for you to keep up."

Itachi glared halfheartedly at Shisui and took the canteen from him. He took a gulp and lay down in the grass. Shisui was the fastest shinobi that Konoha had to offer. Even with him slowing down Itachi had problems keeping up with him.

Shisui lay down next to Itachi. "I wanted to spar after this, but I'm kind of tired. Plus, its Friday today! I'm due for a break."

They both lay in silence. Itachi closed his eyes, focusing on the smell of fresh grass. His mind slowly drifted. It was wonderful being back here. Especially after being in the damn Water country –

Itachi sat up. He looked at Shisui, who was already snoring softly. Itachi prodded him.

"Mmm… what?"

"Shisui, tell me about _Kotoamatsukami_."

Shisui opened one eye. "What do you want to know?"

"How did you get it?" Itachi asked.

Shisui rolled onto his side and propped his head onto his hand. "Haven't I already told you this already? I'm sure I have."

"Yes, you have. I just want to hear it again." It wouldn't be good to mention to Shisui what he saw in the Water country – at least not yet.

Shisui sighed. "Well… it had been a few weeks since I came back from, you know, that mission…"

Itachi nodded slowly. It had been two years ago. Shisui and his team had been stationed in the Grass country. Their simple scouting mission took a wrong turn when they were ambushed by the local ninja. Just before Recovery Squad set out from Konoha to see what had happened to Team-14, Shisui returned to the village, bloody and hollow eyed, carrying the body of his team mate and best friend, Yuriko, in his arms.

"And I was sitting in my room. My dad came in, and tried to do that psychology crap, asking me to reflect on my feelings and shit. I just wanted him to leave." Shisui said softly. "I just kept thinking that over and over and suddenly my dad just stopped talking in the middle of his sentence and turned around and left. He bumped into my bookshelf, but he just kept walking.

"And then, my head started hurting so badly… it felt as if it was splitting in two. And there was blood, dripping from my face. I went to the mirror, and saw that I had _it_ on." Shisui said, slowly pulling at the grass under his hand.

Itachi looked at his cousin. Shisui had never been particularly proud of his Mangekyo Sharingan. While most of their other relatives would have showed their Mangekyo off, Shisui never spoke about it. Perhaps it's because he realized what he lost in order to gain it. He was currently the only one with a fully working Mangekyo. Only one other living relative possessed the eyes, and that was Uchiha Hideo. Hideo had long since lost his eye sight and the use of his knees, but that didn't make him any less of a good _sensei_. After Shisui awakened his Mangekyo, he was put under his tutelage to develop his eyes.

"I see. Did Hideo-_sensei _help you improve _Kotoamatsukami_?" Itachi asked curiously.

Shisui looked up from the ruined patch of grass. "Sort of. I mean, he helped me improve my other techniques, and that helped me with _Kotoamatsukami_. He tried to guide me while I practiced, but he couldn't really help. He could only tell me what he witnessed."

Itachi stiffened. "Someone else had this technique before you? How come I haven't heard of this?" he asked quietly.

Shisui nodded. "Yeah. Only one person. But he never tells me who. He says that it could taint how I use the jutsu, or something like that. That's probably why you haven't heard about it – the clan wants to bury dirty secrets."

Itachi felt excitement build inside him. "But you must have some idea who used to possess it?" he said insistently.

"Of course I have an idea. I mean, it makes sense when you think about it. It must have been Uchiha Madara." Shisui lay back on the grass and folded his arms behind his head. "Why else wouldn't he say who it was? If the person was an honorable Uchiha, he wouldn't have kept it secret."

Itachi felt disappointment seep into him. He turned towards the river, and gazed at the slow current. Of course it was Uchiha Madara who also possessed _Kotoamatsukami_. The man was legendary. He was even said to have gone beyond the Mangekyo and gain a more advanced eye technique. But he was dead, killed over a century ago in a battle against the Shodai Hokage.

"You don't know of anyone else who also has this technique?"

Shisui shook his head. "Nope. I'm the only one. Anyway, why are you asking?" Itachi looked back at Shisui, who was looking at him curiously. "Like I said, this isn't the first time you've heard this. Why the sudden interest?" Though Shisui asked lightly, his eyes seemed to bore into Itachi.

"Someone mentioned you by name in the Water country. He spoke about your jutsu," Itachi lied easily. "I just wanted to hear your story again after listening to him."

"Right…" Shisui lay back down on the grass. "You look tired. Did you sleep after you came back from the mission?"

"No. I haven't slept in two days," Itachi said.

Shisui reached into his pack and pulled out a small towel. "You know that's not good for you," Shisui half-scolded, placing the towel on his eyes to shield out the sun. "Trust me, it's not fun dealing with you when you're sleep deprived… your paranoia becomes full scale then."

"I know how to take care of myself, Shisui." Itachi stood up. "I need to head back home."

Shisui waved lazily at him. "I'll come by tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Hmph. See you later, then," Itachi said. He turned and walked into the hot summer day.

_oooOOOooo_

Itachi put his head back and rested it on the edge of the bath tub. A bath was always welcome after a long run. He gazed around the steamy room.

He was disappointed after talking with Shisui. He didn't know what he was expecting to accomplish when he spoke to him. Itachi, being the son of the Clan Lord, had privy to even the most confidential information. Maybe he was hoping Shisui might have known something that Hideo _sensei_ kept secret from the rest of the clan. He was the oldest Uchiha and bound to know some long forgotten skeletons.

Itachi put his head under the hot water. Maybe the caster of the jutsu was a rogue Uchiha? No… that was unlikely. All Uchiha births were well documented. Even though they weren't half as fearful as the Hyuuga were of their eye techniques getting in the wrong hands, the Uchiha liked to keep their secrets.

He resurfaced and watched his long hair float in inky trails in the water. Whoever was behind the technique, it was best he notified the Hokage. He got out of the tub, and wrapped a towel turban-style around his head.

He walked out of the bathroom. He could hear a catchy jingle of some game show coming from the television, and his mother's soft singing as she prepared lunch. He opened his bedroom door, sat on his bed and began toweling his hair dry.

Whatever was going on, he would deal with after a nap. He threw the towel onto the chair next to his desk and lay down on the bed. He yawned and slowly drifted to sleep.

_The silence pressed in on Itachi as he stood in the middle of the clearing. His heart pattered wildly in his chest as he clutched a squirming bundle that was too big for his small frame. He looked down at the swaddled Sasuke, and saw that some blood was streaked across his face. He tried wiping it away, but it just smeared messily on the baby's face._

Where are Mom and Dad? _Itachi looked around the clearing and shakily sat down. He pushed his sweaty hair back, and noticed blood on his hands. He looked down at himself. Blood. It was everywhere, streaking his arms and soaking the hems of his pants. He began shaking again._

_There was a snap behind him. Itachi swiveled around and gazed into the dark forest. The air – it suddenly felt… bad. It was sick and twisting, and filled the forest oppressively. Itachi quickly stood up._

_Something was over there._

_Something evil._

_He needed to get away. He turned to run and tripped over a gnarled tree root. His face bashed into the stump. Sasuke slipped out of his hands and fell onto the forest floor and began wailing. _

_Itachi, ignoring his streaming nose ran too Sasuke. Sasuke's face was screwed up and a cut was on his cheek. "Please Sasuke," he mumbled. "Please don't cry… I'm right here."_

"_Hehe… well, what do we have here?" Itachi spun around to see a man standing in the clearing. He squatted down until he was at Itachi's level. His entire face was masked, except for one of his eyes. Itachi clutched Sasuke tighter._

"_Two little Uchiha brats, all alone in a forest?" the man chuckled softly. "My, what a surprise…"_

_He reached over. Itachi, still clutching Sasuke tried to kick the man. The man laughed loudly as he easily blocked the five year olds' kick and flung Itachi to the ground._

"_Oh… seems like you have some fight," the man said. "Boy… you should learn how to treat your ancestors with more respect."_

"_You are not my family," Itachi said shakily. The energy around the man spiked._

"_Not family, eh?" The man's voice seemed to throb with rage. Itachi tried to stand, but found himself unable to move._

"_Let me give you a lesson on our family, shall I boy?" The man said in a poison whisper, and removed his mask. Itachi stared at the man's eyes._

_A sudden, devilish cry filled the air and the man looked up. _

"_Seems like he's found the village," the man said. He looked back down at Itachi. "Some other time, boy…"_

_The man vanished, and the heavy air vanished. The cool night returned, and all Itachi could hear was the faint crickets in the background. Itachi's knees hit the ground as he fell-_

Itachi sat up, breathing heavily. Itachi looked down at his hands, and saw that they were shaking.

That man.

Itachi stared around the dark room. He quickly got up and opened the curtains. Bright sunlight filled the room.

How could he have forgotten that man?

Even now, almost seven years after, he could remember the feel of the chakra. And his eyes.

He hadn't given it much thought before. He was so young when it happened. That night was just a long, terror filled blur, which occasionally crept up as a nightmare.

He pushed aside some books and felt around the back of the bookcase until he passed over a string. Tugging it, he opened up a panel. Inside the small hole were a couple of scrolls. Itachi took one out.

He began unraveling it, scanning the pages swiftly until he stopped. He looked at the little drawing in the corner.

It was an eye, with three tomoe joined in a never ending circle around the pupil. Three bars extended from the circle, stopping at the end of the iris. It was just as he remembered.

It was Uchiha Madara's Mangekyo.

It was also the man's eyes.

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Critiques and reviews are much loved!


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